For the international, long-haul travellers...

Having just returned from the longest long-haul I will probably ever 'enjoy', I thought I would share a few things I have learned about travelling with Miss (2 years) and Master (1 year) - without Papa or any other adult.

• Infant meals - must be requested at least 48 hours in advance of your flight (if you want a child's meal otherwise your under 2 year old may not be offered ANY meal).
• Bathroom visits - an unfortunate child:adult ratio means some careful juggling - one child on the change table, one on the toilet and a Mama squished in the remaining space. Unless it is likely to be required by someone with a greater need, try using the disabled bathroom as it will have slightly more space. Having said this, the disabled toilet on the A380 seemed to me to be the same size as a regular bathroom on a Boeing.
• Spare clothes - if possible, select garments that are appropriate for both/all Misses and Masters to reduce your cabin baggage weight and size.
• Wet clothes - dry quickly on inflight television monitors.
• 1 piece pyjamas - at first I thought this was a stroke of genius, one garment (per Miss/Master) to locate in cabin baggage. Wrong. I should have thought ahead to nappy changes and bathroom runs. Our return journey pyjamas were actually tracksuit trousers and a comfortable t-shirt (which also served as additional spare clothes). Much smarter.
• Play areas - at Melbourne International (MEL) departures the incredibly marvellous play area near gate 10 was a magnet for families and kept children active and busy pre-flight. Other terminals with play areas include: London Heathrow LHR (all terminals), Singapore SIN (all terminals). Singapore SIN also boasts multiple outdoor gardens & a butterfly enclosure.
  

• Luggage - although I could have travelled a little lighter, I did choose the right piece of luggage. I know I can push two buggies at once, and I know I can push a buggy and hold Miss's hand. Courtesy of a recent weekend away (and a 10 minute struggle in the car park before help appeared), I also know I cannot concurrently push a buggy and drag a suitcase. The solution was obvious - I would return to my days of footloose, fancy-free backpacking and promptly dusted off my old 65 litre backpack.
• Emirates kiddie haul - includes delightful items such as magnetic sketch pad, blankets, coloured pencils, activity book, story ("Oh, the Places You'll Go", Dr Seuss) and travel journey with pen and note paper. Incidentally, Emirates also have an amazing pack for infants which includes a disposable change mat, good quality wipes, skin cream, spoon, rattle and bib.

• Drawstring consumables bag - this is one from an earlier post (6 toddler travel tips) and it was no less helpful for this journey. Master had on his rosey-red teething cheeks which usually means many, many nappy changes, so I took a huge nappy stash and I was not afraid to use them! Although my stash of consumables steadily reduced during the journey, the consumed items were replaced with the Emirates kiddie haul (see above).
• Travel documents - I worry about my travel documents being in order. We have an extraordinary number of passports in our family and our long-hauls usually involve more than one flight (this last trip was 6 flights in total). So, keeping our passports and boarding passes in order was something I mastered in the early days of family travel. I invested in one brightly decorated, clear-sided plastic pencil case which holds every passport, ID card, boarding pass and luggage receipt, plus pens (for all those departure and landing cards) and blank business cards (last used for slipping my contact details into our baggage and for making notes mid-flight). My 'travel document case' has never failed me. *update: after the arrival of a new Master I upgraded my travel document case to a two-compartment version of similar size; it separates the passports 'in use' with boarding cards (we don't use every passport for every trip) from the remaining documents (EU health care cards, ID cards, pens, etc). It works like a dream...

• The buggy dilemma - the last but most certainly not of least importance; it is all the more important to know which airports have airport-use buggies when travelling and transiting with a negative adult:child ratio. Master fell into a deep sleep immediately before landing twice and on both occasions there were no airport-use buggies. I plan to ask Father Christmas for a couple of those Trunkie (wheeled) cases so that next time I have a little less to carry.
• The haves: Dubai DXB (airside), Melbourne International MEL (airside arrivals) - all regular sandwich-fold buggies; Singapore SIN (airside) - purpose-designed to carry baby+bags!
• The have nots: Melbourne MEL (departures), Kuala Lumpur KUL, Johannesburg JNB.

For the record, the flights home were easier than the flights away. But perhaps that was because we all knew we would be giving Papa a big hug when we made it to the arrivals hall.

Do you know of an airport with play areas? Perhaps you know whether buggies are available in an airport you have transited? Please share your knowledge with the rest of us using comments!

Nature Detectives

A few 'nature' things I have learnt...

Say the next time you walk outside with your Miss or Master you both notice a butterfly landing on your arm. It has eerie blue/white/yellow eye-like circles symmetrically placed on each of its blood-red wings. Could you name the butterfly?

A fellow blogger recently tipped me off about the Woodland Trust who offer an amazing annual membership deal that provides ideas and tools to entertain and educate your Miss or Master, plus plenty of inspiration to make the most of our fabulous British outdoor spaces, regardless of where you live (city, suburb or country), and regardless of the weather. I figured it sounded to good to be true, but for £12 I was willing to take the chance and find out. After all, Woodland Trust is a charity, so the money would not be completely wasted.

After our first month of Nature Detectives membership, what have we learnt? We collected fallen leaves and matched them to our tree chart, we scanned the sky for clouds - identifying some and drawing the rest and we examined a local pond and it's inhabitants. When we stayed in doors we played 'minibeast dominos' and identified which flowers are loved by bees and butterflies, and why. When we stayed out of doors we 'looked up' and took stock of what was up there - and then looked up again and again through the day to see what changed. All in all, it is not just Miss and Master that has had lots of fresh air and fun while learning.

And the name of butterfly with blood-red wings? It is the Peacock, Inachis io

Farewell, summer of sport (for NHM)

I wish to send a big thank you to the readership of my summer of sport series. I do hope you have found something of interest to read and that perhaps, even just a little, your sporting horizons have been widened.

Please do forgive my belated posting of the final summer of sport blog. I feel bad about this timing, mostly because this little reminder of summer comes as I sit at my desk looking out the window over a freshly watered (rained-on) garden. Ah well, it was a wonderful summer while it lasted...

Summer of sport - final: "Glamping", for NorthHantsMum

A summer of sport VII (for NHM)

"Born to be wild..."

Yet another summer series guest post for NorthHantsMum. Looking for some family-fun inspiration to keep everyone busy this last bank holiday weekend of 2013 (gasp!)? Well, click on through...

Last week's summer of sport subject (ballet) was perhaps a little feminine, although, ballet is not just for Misses. All the same, it is for the sake of fairness that this week is a (stereotypically) masculine sport. But then motor sport is not just for Masters either.

As a young Miss I always wanted to drive, I was forever asking questions about road signs, (what they mean, why they are where they are etc), and every time we went to the farm I recalling whining (a lot) that I wanted to take the 'Suzie' out for a 'spin' (read: drive the Suzuki utility vehicle). It never mattered to me that my length-challenged legs were far from pedal-reaching proportions, nor that my driving skills were not fully manual-car capable, (Dad would let me sit on his lap and 'drive' our automatic car along the untarred lane-way between home and Grandma and Grandpop's house). I simply just wanted to drive.

My sister, on the other hand, took jazz ballet classes.

The precursor to this driving fascination was probably the dodgem cars I loved to drive at a local theme park of my childhood. But they never went fast enough and it was a stretch to wear the seatbelt and still be able to reach the steering wheel and pedals. The, as I grew older, the track was predictably boring and I was increasingly frustrated with folks always getting in my way. On the farm, however, I only needed to worry about Kangaroos; not for fear of hurting them, it was a fear of them hurting me - which would promptly put an end to taking the Suzie out for a spin (those kangaroos really are brutal).

By the age of 12 or 13 I was adept at reversing the cars off the front garden grass onto the driveway, down the slope, onto the road, along the gutter and around the corner to the garages at the back of our odd-shaped corner block. Next, I would either reverse parallel park on the forecourt or park in the garage. All of this was done, of course, after washing Mum's, Dad's and then Nan's cars. This is also precisely the same way that my father learnt to drive.

Alas, we have no family farm nearby, so it will be dodgem cars and go-karts for my Miss and Master. And I doubt they will sit still long enough to watch the Belgian F1 Grand Prix with Papa this Sunday (25 August). Mind, Master is named after a late legend of the Formula 1 (F1) scene, so perhaps go-karts might be a winner? He would certainly not be the first Briton to get into F1 this way... 

Back to my old form, here are some local(-ish) go-kart providers, if you like to "Getcha motor runnin'..."

• Chineham: The nearest and newest, having opened 27 July 2013, is Absolutely Karting Basingstoke, Wade Road, RG24 8LJ (near Great Binfields Road intersection)
• Reading: Premier Karting (RG5 4SZ) and Teamworks Reading (RG30 1JT).
• Andover: Thruxton (SP11 8PW)

Tiny Tip : 3

Onions

These freeze very well so when you are chopping up an onion for dinner, try chopping double the amount and freezing the 'overs'. It will save you prepping (and crying) time on another day.

A summer of sport VI (for NHM)

The Bolshoi are Back!

This week I took the great pleasure in visiting the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden to watch the Bolshoi ballet dancers perform Jewels. The Bolshoi are in London for just three weeks and I highly recommend you try to get tickets!

I am not a ballet dancer. I never have been and it is probably safe to say I never will be either - but I do love the bewitchment of a beautiful ballet performance. Besides, even the most superficial study of abundantly talented dancers, as the Bolshoi most certainly are, not just entertains me, it also teaches me. Here are a few things I have learnt from the Bolshoi... via NorthHantsMum...


http://northhantsmum.wordpress.com/2013/08/14/a-summer-of-sport-vi/

What would YOU do if...?

* For some months this blog has been saved in my draft folder while I debated the best time to publish it. Unfortunately, as this blog describes, bad things happen, often. I have been avoiding inadvertent upset as a result of publishing this at the wrong time, but it seems there is just no 'right' time. So, with my thoughts and prayers with those I care for, here goes...

Actually, it is more a case of: What would you need if...?

Disclaimer: Let me start by stating that this blog is absolutely not intended as being any sort of advice (financial, legal or otherwise), and it should not be used as such. Think of this as a conversation over a cuppa. No sales. No advice. Just a chat with a friend (if I may be so forward). Also, following on from my recent post, The underwear rule, this is another serious matter that I urge you to consider and discuss with those you love.

This is a bit of a touchy subject and many folks do not like talking or thinking about it, others live by the "It will not happen to me" theory. And it's funny, in a macabre way, everyone I ever spoke to that did have this happen to them said the same thing, "I never thought it would happen to me!"

Life is not always roses and happiness; watching the news on any given day will verify this. Sometimes, folks die prematurely. Sometimes, folks live, albeit with a very serious illness. Some of these folks may eventually recover, or at least partially recover. We all know these things happen, but what do we do to protect ourselves in the event, God forbid it, of things going horribly wrong?

Well, there are group life insurance polices provided by some employers - but are you covered by one? Assuming you know you are covered by such a policy, this is great news, if you die. And if the benefit payable is enough. But what if you survive? What if you "just" get ill, very ill? So ill that you cannot do anything, except eat, drink and require medical attention? Perhaps you might even need a wheelchair, is your home even wheelchair accessible?

I can list episodes of life changing events that have happened to folks I know (or knew). There is the Dad who fought a major illness and lost, and his brother-in-law who is suffering the life changing side effects of a major trauma he suffered some years later. The almost new client (the non-working half of a young, freshly mortgaged couple) that declined insurance and was later given a most awful diagnoses. My family member who lost her husband after nursing him through a long illness. And most recently, the unexpected death of my father-in-law. Individually, these episodes are awful, devastating, heartbreaking. But what if it happened to someone you love? Most people understand why a breadwinning parent might be insured. But the parent who is (unpaid) at home raising children, (whether by free or fiscal choice), also has economic value in the family. Families suffer when either parent is unable to do their job, paid or unpaid. That Dad I mentioned, he left behind four children and the youngest was not yet age two. 

So, what to do?

Insurance. You may have a nest egg invested (this is called 'self insurance') or, if you are like most of us, the nest egg is bought with insurance premiums.  Do not think of insurance as just another product someone is trying to sell you, (although, yes, insurance companies intend to generate profits). Think of insurance as a plan B - in case something does go horribly wrong and you are not already the self-made millionaire you plan to be.

Seriously, think about this.

What would your family need if one or both of you became very ill or died? Could you afford to be away from work to take care of, or spend time with your family? Could you meet your mortgage or rental commitments or would you be force to sell up or move? Do you have other regular financial commitments that must be maintained (think loans, cars, nursery...) Could you afford present day and future education expenses (fees, books etc) on one salary? Seriously, imagine that tomorrow morning you wake up and one of you were seriously ill or dead. What are the first few things that would cross your mind? Would you really want one of them to be money?

I have sat down with my husband. We have talked. And when we are old(er), grey(er) and wrinkly(er), I would dearly love look back on our lives and say to each other: 

"You know all those insurance premiums we paid for all those years? They were the biggest waste of money we ever spent so wisely."

A summer of sport V (for NHM)

This week I am horsing about in my guest post for NorthHantsMum.....

Horses and horse racing have always been in the peripheral of my life; the childhood trotting track visits, my first horse riding experience as an adult (that horse was a "dud", I rode goats in Egypt that were stronger, faster and far more responsive), and I have attended the odd major event race day (the "glam-up" sort). Even so, I had thought that horses and horse racing were mostly for 'horse people', but this is simply untrue. The entire family can enjoy this sport, together or separately, it is really just a matter of getting organised in advance and checking out what's on.

Click this link to NorthHantsMum and read more...

Working double time at meal time

As Miss grew into a 'big girl', I knew I would need something more than my under developed imagination to entertain, enthuse and educate her.

Meal time gives me Miss and Master's undivided attention, and, having fond memories of my "three wise monkeys" placemat as a child, I thought this might be a good place to start.

I found a huge variety of placemats on offer although I usually prefer the appropriately aged, 'educational' option. Still, there were many to choose from. I ordered Little Wigwam's "Alphabet" placement. Miss found the bright colours immediately attractive, then happily recognised and excitedly named a number of the illustrations from the outset.

courtesy of Little Wigwam

Who is it for?

The suggested age range is three years plus, but I beg to differ. Miss and I have had many discussions about the illustrations. We have talked about the animals, the noises they make and where we might find them in real life. We have talked about the colours, the shapes and what the "real life" size of the illustrated characters might be. We progressed to letter sounds ("D" is for the d-d-duck illustration, d-d-dog, d-d-dinosaur) and in recent months Miss has been visually identifying letters. Miss is still not three.

Will it last?

Yes... But like anything that is well used, well loved, it will show the signs. Exhibit A, belonging to my Miss:

Note: this is entirely my own opinion and I have not received payment of any kind to recommend or positively comment on this product or the supplier, (Little Wigwams).

A summer of sport IV (for NHM)

Howzat?

Another guest post in my summer series for NorthHantsMum. Do click through and peruse her blog, it is full of great information and ideas (not just for North Hampshire locals)!

England is hosting Australia this year in the 67th battle for the Ashes.

Britain can boast a number of recent sporting triumphs; a massive medal haul in the 2012 Olympic Games, great success in cycling, tennis, horse racing, and car and motorcycle racing, to name but a few.  But will cricket be another happy hunting ground for British sport?

Right from the start of Ashes cricket, Australia was dominated by the mother country. There were a few short periods of Aussie greatness, but history is clear about which country was consistently playing superior cricket.

In the 1990s things started to go horribly wrong for England; England started losing and Australia started dominating. By the late 1990s England's oldest cricket foe had secured the greater number of Ashes series wins, and this made millions of Australians, including myself, very, very happy. (We do take our sport seriously.)  This was a glorious period for Australian cricket and we set about building on our lead, and build we did... Until the 2010/11 Ashes series. For the first time in 24 years England won an Ashes series on Australian soil. With only one series win in the last decade Australia is clinging to a 31:30 lead, and I bet England are keen to finally even-up the tally.

On the other hand, Aussie pride is a fierce animal, and sport is a serious matter. When threatened with the possibility of a mediocre result or even, God forbid it, failure, Aussies are capable of producing inspired results. This might just be where Shane Warne's 'ball of the century' originated, that or it was just one of many episodes in our glorious period of cricket. Maybe Aussie pride sparked Ashton Agar's enormous run haul (for a number eleven batsman) just a few weeks ago, in an effort to save the test for the Australians?

I recall learning of my grandfather's cricketing prowess some years back. The local Masters picked their team and country (Australia or England); their selections were final and permanent. My grandfather was England captain and like Misses and Masters today, he acted out the achievements of the sporting heroes of the day. But this was during the bodyline series; my grandfather 'was' Douglas Jardine. I am proud of his selection to a such senior position and his being (nick)named for such a strong character, but I am not so sure about the whole bodyline business...

England hold a 2-0 lead going into the third test starting tomorrow (1 August) at Old Trafford, but I suspect play will not be as one-sided as the scorecard suggests. Whatever remains for Ashes series 2013, my hope is that this oldest of rivalries continues to inspire Misses and Masters in England and Australia to pick up a cricket bat and play. Play in the garden, play at the beach, play anywhere. Just get out there and play.

Feeling inspired?

If you would like to make your cricket playing a little more formal there are a number of local clubs to investigate. To name just a few that encourage cricket for all ages and abilities (in alphabetical order): Basingstoke & North Hants CC, Oakley CC, Old Basing CC.

A summer of sport III (for NHM)

Gentlemen Only Ladies Forbidden.

* scroll to the bottom for an update!

The Open Championship 2013 has been played and the Claret Jug has been held aloft (congratulations Mr Mickelson). So what's next?

I was always a bit of a Daddy's girl and whatever Daddy did, I did. My Daddy liked to play golf; I liked to play golf. So it is strange that over the years I have not played often. To place some of the blame elsewhere, I have struggled to find someone to play golf with. You see, there are not many women folk out there that play golf - least, not many that are within my friendship circles. And now my friendship circles invariably include Misses and Masters. Is this a further hindrance to my golf?

No. In a word. Golf is no longer confined to the business deal making, (male) suit-wearing (stereotyped) population the world over. Golf is for everyone. 

I have often heard golf described as a 'perfectly good way to ruin a lovely morning walk'. Golf does not have to be that way (entirely). Make the walk more efficient and play golf with your family. Family time, exercise, fresh air and practising your skills (because, as any golfer will tell you, this game is one you will never perfect).

We are fortunate to have a plethora of golf courses in north Hampshire and many of these advertise junior lessons, Basingstoke Golf Centre (RG22 6PG) and Dummer Golf Club (RG25 2AD) are just two such courses.

Has The Open fanned a spark of interest? Maybe golf was not previously on your radar? Perhaps you are unsure if you will even like golf? Well, what if you could give golf a try for little or not cost? 

I have just the thing! Get Into Golf are running taster sessions all up and down the country. Try Thursday 1 August at Bishopswood Golf Club (RG26 4AT) or Wednesday 7 August in Eastrop Park (Basingstoke), or check www.getintogolf.org for further venues and dates. 

Pleasant putting, folks!

This post is also found in full on the lovely NorthHantsMum's blog. Whether you are a north Hampshire local or not, you can find something of interest.

*update*
I recently visited Basingstoke Golf Centre and was absolutely delighted we were not the only families playing the par 3 course, with a buggy. Further, I lost count of the number of children actually playing alongside their adult relatives. This venue is truly a family friendly place!!

The Underwear Rule

Many enjoyable times have been had in this job of mine, as a Mama of two, and I am confident of many more such times ahead. But some aspects of this job are far from enjoyable, rather, they are essential.

Conversations that are simply too important not to have with your Misses and Masters are often the hardest. Thankfully, the NSPCC has a great resource to help us keep our Misses and Masters safe from the most heinous of dangers. 

Please, follow the link, have the talk.

www.underwearrule.org

A summer of sport II (for NHM)

More summer weather, more summer sport...

... and you will find my latest guest blog for North Hants Mum, a fellow Hampshire parent and blogger, by following the link, below.

With the conversation about just who was last British Wimbledon champion fading from the headlines, it is cycling on my mind this week...

http://northhantsmum.wordpress.com/2013/07/17/guest-post-wednesday-a-summer-of-sport/

A summer of sport (for North Hants Mum)

Tennis, anyone?

In the second and final week of The Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, (Wimbledon), I had the pleasure of guest blogging for North Hants Mum, a fellow Hampshire parent and blogger.

At the time this blog was originally published Britain was only dreaming of home-turf glory for the first time since 2007 (Jamie Murray, Doubles) and 1977 (Virginia Wade, Singles)...

http://northhantsmum.wordpress.com/2013/07/03/guest-post-wednesday-summer-sport/

THE top 50 (for Ready Steady Go Kids)

Have you ever wondered what Misses and Masters really want to be doing all day...?

I have wondered. Then I found a related article. And now I have blogged about it for my friends at Ready Steady Go Kids. Follow the link below for my very first guest blog about the top 50 things outdoorsy things our Misses and Masters really want to be doing!

http://blog.rsgk.co.uk/the-top-50/

Book review: Rabbit's Nap

Rabbit's feeling sleeping and would really like a nap, but her friends in Acorn Wood seem intent on keeping her awake. Will weary Rabbit ever get a snooze?

This story follows poor tired Rabbit on her quest to rest. Rabbit tries nodding off in all the usual snuggly sleep spots, but her commotion causing friends are never far away. I warn you now, this is a tough read at the end of a long day after a sleepless night! Nonetheless, Rabbit's Nap had been affectionately read and enjoyed literally hundreds of times with my Miss and Master.

The lift-the-flap board book is durable, although after a great deal of 'love' our copy has many tenderly taped up flaps, chewed corners, and scratches and bends where little fingers have eagerly helped to tell Rabbit's story.  Miss and Master engage in the short, repetitive rhyme of Rabbit's Nap and enjoy calling out all the sound nouns. Simple, colourful illustrations reveal non-sleep related details of Rabbit's home, providing even more opportunities for dialogue and 'can you point to the...' games.

Bottom line: Rabbit's Nap receives a resounding recommendation from this family!

Rabbit's Nap Macmillan Publishers Limited/Campbell Books

Is it summer yet?

In the hope that it is here to stay, these are a few things I have learnt about Miss/Master friendly activities during sunny summer spells...

Yoghurt drops - Miss/Master can make these with your help. Spoon yoghurt onto a baking paper-lined plate or dish to make discs of about 2cm in diameter. Place these in the freezer in the morning for a frosty afternoon treat.

Home made smoothies - depending upon the age of your Miss/Master, offer them fruit to chop or bowls of chopped fruit from which they select their smoothie ingredients. If you keep blueberries or other small or chopped fruit in the freezer this will help chill your smoothie without having to add ice.

Messy play (bath) - cooked and dyed (food dye) spaghetti is usually a winner with my Miss, Master likes playing with jelly. But watercolour painting with fingers, toy vehicle wheels, toy animal footprints (your imagination is the only limitation) onto paper or tiled walls can be contained and quickly cleaned up and Miss/Master bathed if it all happens in the one place - the bathroom.

Messy play (outside) - a wading pool can be a great source of fun on hot days when combined with messy play. Think water colour painting, mud pies and tea parties, chalk drawing, bubble blowing... Clever parent friends of mine put bath wash in the pool at the end of the day making a modern day Roman Bath (well, you get the idea). Result.

Spray bottles - some folks may object to using a spray bottle as a 'gun', however, I grew up with a healthy respect for guns. We played cowboys & Indians/cops & robbers with spray bottles on hot days. We also tried to write/spray our names on the footpath or any other paved space. For the gun wary, the spray bottle could be set to 'spray'.

Sprinkler running - one of my favourite hot day activities as a child. I spent hours running in and out of the sprinkler's arc, and when that became boring we would run to the middle, pull a silly pose and then run out again - competing against each other for the best silly pose. This was also a great way to water the garden (hose pipe ban permitting).

At this point, it would remiss of me not to repeat the simple, sun-smart advice I heard throughout the sunny days of my childhood, "Slip, Slop, Slap!", that is, slip on a shirt, slop on sunscreen and slap on a hat.

Happy summer, folks!

Tiny Tip : 2

Banana stains?

Hang your freshly washed clothes in direct sunlight to remove banana stains.

Tiny Tip : 1

Chopped fruit

Chopped up too much fresh fruit? Pop the excess into an airtight container, drizzle lemon juice over (nature's own preservative) and shake it up once the lid is firmly in place - lemon juice coated fruit pieces will not go brown. Inadvertently, this also makes a mobile snack pack or a healthy dessert for later.

NEW!! Tiny Tips

No time to read a full blog? No problem, Tiny Tips could be just the ticket!

Not all tips are worthy of a full blog which is why I am adding "Tiny Tips" mini-blogs to my Minrva repertoire. 

My life is at that young family stage and it follows that this dominates my output. That said, Tiny Tips need not have such a narrow focus, and besides, this is more about sharing best practices and efficiencies. So, please pay those favours forward and share any Tiny Tips you have.

My first Tiny Tip will be published later today!

Top Ten Terry Nappy uses

I love a multipurpose gadget.

Impending parenthood is a great time to convert nay-sayers, like my husband, who has what I call a 'single purpose gadget' infatuation. I respect a gadget that works every time, without fuss and without taking up a great deal of space. But also, it simply must be multipurpose. These are a few things I have learnt about alternative uses for one of my most "multi-" multipurpose gadgets, the terry nappy.

1. Nappy - an obvious inclusion...
   
   
2. Liner - in winter months a terry nappy covering your change table/mat will keep your Miss/Master a wee bit warmer during a nappy change, in the summer months it helps prevent them from sticking.
   
   
3. Weaning - my Miss was quite tidy in her weaning (once Mama got the hang of feeding her), but my Master likes to touch everything, all the time. Putting a terry nappy underneath him keeps the cloth high chair cover cleaner for longer (terry nappies are quicker and easier to remove and clean than the high chair cover).
   
   
4. Spit cloth - essentially, the same use as for a muslin cloth. Terry nappies are especially handy if you have a reflux baby (with a great deal more 'spitting').
   
   
5. Clean up cloth - again, similar use as for a muslin cloth, but I found terry nappies clean up a great deal more than a muslin (think gastroenteritis, eek)... Should a tummy bug outbreak occur in your home, I suggest storing a few terry nappies in strategic locations.
   
   
6. Bed liner - I used terry nappies in between the sheet and Miss/Master when they were very young to catch the inevitable reflux mess and during periods of snotty noses when I would otherwise have to change the sheet after every nap.
   
   
7. Potty training - it will not help them train, but it will help catch some of the accidents if placed in key locations (favourite chair, etc).
   
   
8. Blanket - really! Okay, so it is Miss who uses terry nappies as blankets for her 'Baby Eve' doll. Seriously though, nappy rash is a horrid thing for which fresh air is often recommended to aid healing. Try sitting or laying Miss/Master on a terry nappy covered change mat (on the floor) with another terry nappy across the lap. This should help keep Miss/Master's bottom warm and help catch any 'business' and at the same time offer valuable bottom-airing time.
   
   
9. Hair towel - my Miss had a lot of hair from the minute she was born. Aside from using a hooded towel, a terry nappy works well as a baby hair towel.
   
   
10. Modesty cloth - ok, so this is a weak number 10. Terry nappies were a handy impromptu modesty cloth either when I was out (and inappropriately dressed for easy breastfeeding) or at home with unexpected guests. My nappy bag was mostly full of fresh changes of clothes for my reflux Miss and Master so had no space (or any inclination) for a purpose-built modesty shield when something else worked double time. 

What is your most called upon multipurpose gadget?

Caught short

No baby change facilities? Having experienced this many times I often assume the worst and just get on with it; an appropriate solution can usually be found. But what do you do in an ‘upmarket’ establishment without a baby change or viable alternative? This happened to me the other week and I am still unsure whether it left me annoyed or amused. These are a few things I have learnt about being caught short.

We have a sandwich-fold buggy. We lived in central London when Miss arrived so we needed a city buggy; it also had to travel efficiently, fold easily, survive a plane cargo hold etc. And as it happens, buggies that can recline flat are quite handy for a quick, semi-sheltered, and even a 'sleeping baby' baby change. Our buggy choice has averted countless caught short situations.

Some outings do not require a buggy. Driving to a restaurant with a 'high chair' aged Miss does not require a buggy, and so it was left at home when we drove to a restaurant that we knew well pre-parenthood. I had assumed they had a baby change. Wrong. In asking staff for assistance finding a 'small space’ they offered two round-seated dining chairs pushed together. So, I sat on half of one chair and held the other tightly with my feet, Miss precariously straddled both chairs and a successful nappy change was negotiated.

Other outings do require a buggy, but it is not always appropriate to use it as a baby change. After a long walk we stopped for lunch at a lovely riverside restaurant; it was very quiet, very much open plan and very much sans baby change. Without staff assistance my only option was a rather undignified nappy change in the middle of the restaurant. Our lovely waiter offered an alternative solution, upending his waiters tray to fill the ladies bathroom hand basin void I administered a delicately balanced nappy change.

One of my favourite ‘adult’ places to visit with Miss and Master is the ground floor café of the Tate Modern in SE1 (a blatant, unpaid plug). Tucked in the back corner is a spacious child friendly area with baby change and bathrooms in close proximity, although distant enough not to waft vile bathroom smells up my nose. The disadvantage of such fabulous facilities is their constant use. For me this is no bother; I turn the back of my buggy towards other diners and execute a private, discreet in-buggy nappy change.

Back to the other week. Sometimes, there are no amazing solutions. Sometimes, you have to weigh-up the risks, a nappy leak versus a social faux pas. Miss, Master, Papa and I were at a country club with friends and after a stroll around the grounds we stopped for lunch in a restaurant overlooking a lake to one side and the grounds to the other. The inevitable nappy change need arose so change kit in one hand, Miss holding the other, off we went to find the ladies bathroom baby change; but there were none. I looked for the disabled bathroom; there were none. I looked for other doors behind which a baby change space might be found; there were none. I looked for a staff member to ask for assistance; there were none (they were busy serving). Without a buggy, car or other private space I saw only one option, the floor. Our table was in the back corner so I strategically positioned my make-do baby change behind a couple of coat covered chairs to my left with our table in front of me (and everyone but me sat at it), to my right and behind me were a 1st floor window and a wall. I changed Miss first, but while changing Master I noticed people at the neighbouring table shaking their heads and staring at me. A waiter they had summonsed stood there glancing at me and nodding in apparent agreement. There was a time when this reaction would have bothered, and probably flustered me. But these days I worry less about what others think and more about getting on with it. It was when we were packing up to leave (immediately after the nappy changes) that I noticed the empty neighbouring table. Apparently, these people were so bothered by my semi-public, make-do baby change that they up and left without ordering.

Was I amused at the time? Yes. I would rather laugh in an awkward or uncomfortable situation than let it upset me.

Was I annoyed at their reaction? Yes. They did not have food in front of them, and Miss and Master were shielded from view from all but those who choose to look closely and stare. But mostly, did they think anyone would actually choose a make-do public-floor-space baby change when a better alternative exists?

Today, the reaction of the would-be diners and the unabashed waiter annoys me. But more so, I find humour in the fact that their ignorant assumption (that a better alternative existed) caused them far greater bother than it caused me. After all, I had lunch followed by a laugh...

Do you have any clever caught short solutions?